Various types of archery targets are known, including conventional three-dimensional life-size animal-simulating archery targets. Such targets have a shape resembling that of a game animal, for example, a deer or other animal. The targets may be formed in a single piece from a lightweight foam material, such as polyurethane foam. These targets are adapted for use with both broad head arrows, which comprise a plurality of intersecting razor blades tapering to a sharp point, and field point or target arrows. Critical target areas may be indicated on the target, e.g., by bull's eye markings, which are either applied onto or molded into the foam target.
Repeated arrow strikes on a foam archery target will cause the target to deteriorate. This outcome is especially true when broad head arrows are used. When a broad head arrow hits a target, the blades forming the arrowhead slice through the target material to a considerable depth. As the target material is hit repeatedly, pieces of the target are cut loose. Therefore, a target is destroyed much more rapidly with broad head arrows than with field point or target head arrows. However, even when field point or target head arrows exclusively are used, at least a portion of the target will inevitably be destroyed with repeated use.
In practice, a very large proportion of the arrow strikes on an archery target fall within a relatively small portion of the target. For example, an archer will typically aim at an area of the target corresponding to vital organs of the animal which the target represents. Most archers will hit this target or bull's eye area most of the time. Therefore, this target area will be destroyed rapidly, due to repeated arrow strikes, while most of the remaining target remains relatively undamaged. The functional life of a three-dimensional life-size animal simulating archery target may be extended, and the cost of using such a target reduced, by making replaceable a target section of the archery target which is likely to be destroyed rapidly due to repeated arrow strikes.
Instead of forming the target from a single piece of molded foam, a three-dimensional life-size animal simulating archery target may be molded in multiple pieces, which are detachably joined together to form the target, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,082 (McKenzie, et al.). As one piece of the target is destroyed by repeated arrow strikes, this section alone may be replaced, eliminating the need to replace the entire target. Thus, the life of the target is extended, and the operating cost thereof reduced. The replaceable target section in McKenzie is approximately one-third of the total target. Thus, it is relatively expensive to replace. Further, the vertical dovetails holding the body sections together tend to come apart with repeated arrow strikes, due to the dynamic force of arrows impacting the target.
Another known three-dimensional life-size animal-simulating archery target is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,403 (Morrell). This archery target includes a foam body, which may be formed of front and rear body sections connected together by a dovetail joint structure. The foam body includes a target insert receiving recess into which a target insert is placed. The target insert may be filled with packing material, such as cotton molt, for use with only target arrows, or may be formed of foam, for use with both broad head and target arrows. The target insert may be held in place in the recess using straps and wire. A body cover, which may be made of cloth, or molded in foam, is used to cover the removable and replaceable target insert.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,100 (Rinehart) discloses an archery target having a target section aperture formed therein and a replaceable target section adapted to fit in the target section aperture. The replaceable target section is held in place in the target section aperture by one or more support rods extending through support rod apertures formed in the body section and the replaceable target section. The support rods may also extend into other target body sections, to hold the target body sections together to form a structurally stable archery target. A replaceable target insert may be positioned in a target insert aperture formed in the replaceable target section. Arrowheads can be damaged or destroyed if they strike the metal support rods. Broad heads either become trapped in the target insert or will cause tear out with relatively few shots.